Bill Tieleman is one of BC's best known communicators, political commentators and strategists.
Bill writes a politics column Tuesdays in 24 Hours newspaper and The Tyee online magazine.
Bill has been Communications Director in the B.C. Premier's Office and at the BC Federation of Labour.
Bill owns West Star Communications, a consulting firm providing strategy and communication services for labour, business, non-profits and government.

The BC Liberals have already lost the next election, and there is nothing they can do to change that harsh reality. Poor Christy Clark is the Kim Campbell of BC politics as she has inherited a lost cause. They will make lots of noise--spend lots of money in a fancy campaign, but it will not make any difference at this stage. The BC Conservatives are picking up some of the non-NDP pieces, but it is not all their way either. A fundamental re-alignment is happening, and it is questionable if the BC Liberals will survive as a Party.

The game has just begun. There is still just over a year to the next election. The BC Lieberal(Cons) and the Stevie Cons are working on the next election. They're stacking the decks. The soap continues. We haven't seen anything yet. Stay tuned.

And the HST issue continues to be ignored and too few people get a break. By some slight of hand, there was some good news a few days ago for people wanting to buy new homes, and today for seniors who need to upgrade for health and safety issues in renovations, but nothing for the rest of us. So the bulk of people who can't afford new homes and who want to do modest renovations will wait another year until the HST isgone. How is this supposed to kick-start the economy?Jsomm

Ah, how I love living in B.C. The politics are better than anything on t.v. I am close to getting rid of the t.v because the political blogs are so much more entertaining & so much less expensive.

Now as to Rick Peterson jumping ship. The lieberals were never a homogenous group to begin with. Now that some have decided Chrustie & her lieberals are truly going way, they are looking to re establish themselves some where in the political sphere. People need to continue their careers.

Kevin isn't going to be jumping ship just yet. He doesn't want to loose that cabinet minister salary, along with the perks. He will wait until after the election and/or right before the election.

:Yep shameful that many don't recognize a need for balancing the budget, and very shameful that there's always people out there that want goverment to give them everything."Guess that must include the Libturds!

The liberals are the government at this time, and they have failed miserably at governing for the people the last 11 years. They have pretty well sold off most of the assets that are owned by the people of this province, and continue to sell off our assets; they have signed contracts worth billions and won't report the costs of those contracts; they have given themselves pay raises in excess of 40%; they have paid exorbitant severance packages for a few years work; they have done away with thousands and thousands of family supporting jobs by shipping raw logs overshore for one; they have run up the provinces "debt" but have hidden it off the books. The damage they have done to this province will not get corrected in my lifetime, and probably not the grandkids lifetime. imo, they are nothing but a bunch of corrupt, lying crooks. Disgusting bunch.

"NDPers hate banks. Except of course VanCity (technically not a bank, but it does use the banking system)."Not at all true. We just hate corruption. On the other hand, I switched to Coast Capital. Dropped the Royal Bank like a hot potato. $48 less a year and no debit fees.

and who is "we'? What would "we" do when the NDP starts its own brand of corruption? Let's begin that scenario whereby people who worked Adrian Dix's leadership end up with coveted posts.

"On the other hand, I switched to Coast Capital. Dropped the Royal Bank like a hot potato. $48 less a year and no debit fees."

Fees are one thing, but Coast Capital as good as they are, they are technically a bank. The difference is the communal share of institutional dividends and also reduced fees. They still use the banking system.

"Probably just 0.001% of taxpayers agree with this blog. Assuming that 100% of the taxpayers out there know that this blog exists."As long as there is enough voters to kick out the criminal Liberals out on their backsides. You might be the lone supporter left.

Not bad but the above poster missed this part before spewing the post:

But one of the paper’s authors, Stéphane Côté, professor of organizational behaviour and psychology at the Rotman School, cautioned against making blanket assumptions about people based on class alone.

“We’re definitely not suggesting that any upper-class person … is going to be less ethical than every lower-class person. You need to be cautious in terms of applying these findings to predict the behaviour of a single individual,” he said."

Bill Tieleman and Senator Larry Campbell, former Vancouver mayor

Jim Sinclair, Cindy Oliver, Ken Georgetti and Bill Tieleman

Bill Tieleman's coverage of the Basi-Virk/BC Legislature Raid Case praised by other journalists:

"This outstanding piece of journalism, in The Tyee, is the work of a journalist who has been deeply involved with this issue from the start and this article should be passed on as far and wide as possible."

"Bill Tieleman from 24 hours . . . . If you want to know about this trial and about this case, you have to read his blog – I mean, that’s just all there is to it – it’s required reading if you want to understand the BC Legislature Raid situation."

- Mike Smyth, columnist, The Province

"The Basi-Virk case....you’ve probably sat through more of these hearings and gone through more of the files and written about it than any other journalist in the province."

- Bill Good, host, The Bill Good Show, CKNW/Corus Radio Network

"Tieleman ...has done a first-rate job covering the trial."

- Paul Willcocks, columnist, the Victoria Times-Colonist

"Tieleman, who marries a considerable journalistic talent with one of the smartest political minds in the province, has been writing more web-exclusive material. And his coverage of the Basi-Virk trial is a must-read -- whether you're an insider or an outsider."

"24 Hours, the Vancouver paper that has been leading the coverage, as well as the hints of conspiracy in B.C."

- Norman Spector, columnist, Globe and Mail

"Although the major media in this circumstance has been giving the case significant coverage, Tieleman's reports on his blog have been outstanding.

The entire cut and thrust of legal wrangling and arguments has been covered and is accompanied by considered analysis.....His blog site coverage of the Basi-Virk trial is the most in depth treatment of one of British Columbia's biggest political scandals."

- Bill Bell, columnist, The North Shore News

"Mr. Tieleman has published online dispatches which, freed from the limitations of newsprint space or broadcast time, can run at length. They also remain available for those select readers who become obsessed with a case also known as Railgate.....

In another bizarre twist to a story with no shortage of them, Mr. Tieleman went to work one day in December only to discover his office had been ransacked. Bookcases had been tipped over and papers strewn, but nothing was missing.

To top it off, a press kit for the self-published novel The Raid, written by a retired military officer in Metchosin and featuring on its cover a photograph from the 2003 police raid, had been left in a conspicuous place."

- Tom Hawthorn, columnist, The Globe and Mail

Nobody has followed the Basi-Virk affair over its past five years with greater diligence than local journalist, Bill Tieleman....Tieleman deserves our thanks, a fistful of journalism awards and some merit citation for citizenship.